His gaze drifted to the spot where her palm made contact before turning back to the now visible stone knobs. “What’s next, Yarrow? Think you can get it to work?”
The flame snuffed out with a hiss, shrouding them in darkness once more. Without the heat, the cold returned, an icy breeze concentrated on the back of her hand. Talent bloomed beneath her fingertips, and Erinna had to wonder if someone from the Realm Beyond had finally come to her aid.
“Yes.” She nodded after a long moment. “But I need a ladder to reach it?—”
“No need.” Kane closed the distance between them. “Spread your legs.”
“E...excuse me!?”
“I said, spread your legs.” He nudged her feet apart with his boot. “And hold on.”
Erinna had no time to react before she was on his shoulders, thighs pressed around his head, as he lifted her effortlessly off the ground.
“Gods, Kane! You could have warned me first!” She fisted one hand through his hair and tucked her legs around his back for stability.
He laughed, a throaty, rich sound that reverberated through her body. Heat rose to her cheeks and flushed her skin as his hands tightened around her thighs. “I’m not a patient man.”
She bit the inside of her cheek and tried, desperately, to keep her focus away from their far too intimate contact. The code, she reminded herself. If she could figure out the right combination, she could possibly release the bars and give them another shot at opening the doors.
Her fingertips brushed against the cold, damp stone, memorizing every bump and node. It was nearly identical to the one they used back on Tarth to access the underground passageways. The only problem: One wrong move and they could possibly be locked out forever.
Erinna gulped, her hands growing clammy with nerves.
Another cold touch, like something in the wind was guiding her hands. She could feel the mechanism slip into place as she worked through the puzzle. Her brow furrowed as she went, legs squeezing slightly tighter around Kane to keep from wobbling.
“You know, Yarrow,” started Kane, voice piercing through the silence. “I think your talents are wasted in Tarth.”
Erinna stilled, hands paused above the next piece she needed to move. “What do you mean?” She chanced a look downward,her eyes locking with his as he peered up. The intensity in his amber stare was a gravity she couldn’t fight, no matter how desperately she wanted to. The way he so openly gazed at her was unnerving, like he was trying to peer straight through her.
“Your talents shouldn’t be wasted fixing boats for that sorry excuse for a kingdom.”
Erinna’s heartbeat quickened, the compliment landing somewhere deep in her chest. “And where do you think they fit best, then?”
His lips twitched. “You know the answer to that. There’s a spot for you on theHellish Rebuke, if you want to take it.”
Emotion thickened her throat, unbidden. It was a ridiculous offer, she told herself. So far beyond the realm of possibility she could scoff at it. Still, her mouth ran dry as she answered. “I can’t.”
Disappointment flashed across his face so quickly Erinna almost didn’t catch it. Kane turned his attention to some inconsequential crack in the wall.
“Too bad.” He shrugged. The movement had Erinna tightening the hold in his hair as she wavered on her perch. Kane chuckled as heat flushed through her body once more. Erinna turned her focus back to the cipher, trying to calm her heart. She didn’t expect such an offer. Couldn’t believe that happened. Couldn’t believe she even wanted to consider it.
Her mind raced and the cold whispering breeze returned, guiding her hands as she shifted the remaining pieces.
“Don’t I annoy you?” She couldn’t help but ask, the silence feeling too awkward after the exchange.
“Annoyance can be tolerated. Brax frustrates me at least once a day with his complaints. Yet, I would take him over hundreds of more agreeable carpenters.”
Erinna laughed, noting his lack of denial. She moved the last piece into place. “Done.”
They stilled, unwilling to move, waiting for a sign that it had worked.
Crickets chirped, the wind whispered through trees, and the murmur of voices drifted from camp. Erinna was ready to crumble in defeat until she heard it.
A slow, powerful groan emanated from deep within the walls. Grinding vibrated through the stone and she could feel the powerful mechanisms beneath her fingertips. Then, a loud clanking filled the night, followed by the ear-splitting screech of metal.
The bars were moving.
“Down. Put me down.” Erinna scrambled off his shoulders, hitting the ground with a slight wobble. They didn’t waste another second before sprinting back to the courtyard.
